Valorization of coastal seagrass biomass: Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from <i>Posidonia oceanica</i>

Zafeiria Lemoni; Dimitra Argirakou; Styliani Kalantzi; Theopisti Lymperopoulou; Diomi Mamma; Zafeiria Lemoni; Dimitra Argirakou; Styliani Kalantzi; Theopisti Lymperopoulou; Diomi Mamma

doi:10.3934/molsci.2026008

AIMS Molecular Science

2026, Volume 13, Issue 2: 143-167. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2026008

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Research article

Valorization of coastal seagrass biomass: Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Posidonia oceanica

1.
Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str, 15780 Athens, Greece
2.
Products and Operations Quality Control Laboratory School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str, 15780 Athens, Greece
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Received: 02 December 2025 Revised: 27 February 2026 Accepted: 10 March 2026 Published: 26 March 2026

In this study, we focus on the enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) of bioactive compounds from Posidonia oceanica, a Mediterranean seagrass of ecological importance that is often treated as waste. Increasing evidence highlights its beneficial properties, making it a promising source of compounds for the production of value-added compounds. A Taguchi experimental design was employed to optimize the EAE, using the cellulolytic commercial enzyme preparation Cellic CTec3® HS. The effects of key parameters, namely extraction time, solid-to-liquid ratio, and enzyme loading, were evaluated for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Optimization was achieved using “the larger-the-better” approach, and under optimal conditions (solid-to-liquid ratio 1% w/v, enzyme loading 200 U/g, and extraction time 6 h), TPC and TFC reached 27.54 ± 0.84 mg GAE/g DW and 9.22 ± 0.84 mg CAE/g DW, respectively, representing approximately a ten-fold and more than five-fold increase compared to conventional ethanol:water extraction. An additional hemicellulolytic enzyme preparation, Viscoferm® was evaluated under the optimized conditions, and EAE with Cellic CTec3® HS yielded higher TPC and TFC. The optimized extracts obtained with Cellic CTec3® HS and Viscoferm® were further assessed for their antioxidant activity, anti-aging activity (inhibition of tyrosinase activity), anti-diabetic activity (inhibition of amylase and α-glucosidase activity), and antibacterial activity (inhibition of E. coli growth). The Cellic CTec3® HS extract yielded highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ =203.72 ± 23.99 µL extract/mL) and antibacterial activity (21.37 ± 2.00 %), whereas the Viscoferm® extracts demonstrated stronger antidiabetic activity with IC₅₀ values of IC₅₀ = 38.42 ± 2.45 mg/mL (α-amylase) and 43.84 ± 1.29 mg/mL (a-glucosidase). Both extracts showed relatively low tyrosinase inhibition; at 200 mg/mL, Cellic CTec3® HS and Viscoferm® exhibited 41.62 ± 0.10% and 18.69 ± 0.57% inhibition, respectively. These findings confirm the potential of Posidonia oceanica as a sustainable source of bioactive compounds with promising applications.
- Posidonia oceanica,
- enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE),
- Taguchi design,
- Cellic CTec3®,
- HS,
- Viscoferm®,
- phenolic compounds,
- flavonoids,
- biological activities
Citation: Zafeiria Lemoni, Dimitra Argirakou, Styliani Kalantzi, Theopisti Lymperopoulou, Diomi Mamma. Valorization of coastal seagrass biomass: Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Posidonia oceanica[J]. AIMS Molecular Science, 2026, 13(2): 143-167. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2026008

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Abstract

In this study, we focus on the enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) of bioactive compounds from Posidonia oceanica, a Mediterranean seagrass of ecological importance that is often treated as waste. Increasing evidence highlights its beneficial properties, making it a promising source of compounds for the production of value-added compounds. A Taguchi experimental design was employed to optimize the EAE, using the cellulolytic commercial enzyme preparation Cellic CTec3® HS. The effects of key parameters, namely extraction time, solid-to-liquid ratio, and enzyme loading, were evaluated for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Optimization was achieved using “the larger-the-better” approach, and under optimal conditions (solid-to-liquid ratio 1% w/v, enzyme loading 200 U/g, and extraction time 6 h), TPC and TFC reached 27.54 ± 0.84 mg GAE/g DW and 9.22 ± 0.84 mg CAE/g DW, respectively, representing approximately a ten-fold and more than five-fold increase compared to conventional ethanol:water extraction. An additional hemicellulolytic enzyme preparation, Viscoferm® was evaluated under the optimized conditions, and EAE with Cellic CTec3® HS yielded higher TPC and TFC. The optimized extracts obtained with Cellic CTec3® HS and Viscoferm® were further assessed for their antioxidant activity, anti-aging activity (inhibition of tyrosinase activity), anti-diabetic activity (inhibition of amylase and α-glucosidase activity), and antibacterial activity (inhibition of E. coli growth). The Cellic CTec3® HS extract yielded highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ =203.72 ± 23.99 µL extract/mL) and antibacterial activity (21.37 ± 2.00 %), whereas the Viscoferm® extracts demonstrated stronger antidiabetic activity with IC₅₀ values of IC₅₀ = 38.42 ± 2.45 mg/mL (α-amylase) and 43.84 ± 1.29 mg/mL (a-glucosidase). Both extracts showed relatively low tyrosinase inhibition; at 200 mg/mL, Cellic CTec3® HS and Viscoferm® exhibited 41.62 ± 0.10% and 18.69 ± 0.57% inhibition, respectively. These findings confirm the potential of Posidonia oceanica as a sustainable source of bioactive compounds with promising applications.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Novozymes A/S, Denmark for generously providing the enzyme preparation used in the present study. The work of Zafeiria Lemoni was funded by the Special Account for Research Funding (E.L.K.E.) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict interest in this paper.

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